One Piece: Rachel's Journey With the Strawhat Crew
by DorkyOtakuFanGirl
Summary: Ace finds a girl hanging off a log. Her name: Rachel, who ate a Devil Fruit too! She's looking for the Strawhat Crew. When she finds them in the middle of a fight, Sanji is shot in the shoulder, causing Rachel to make things go from bad...to worse...
1. Chapter 1

Portgas D. Ace looked up at the sky and smiled. The sun was shining, and there was a light breeze to the north. It seemed like nothing could go wrong. Suddenly, he heard a "Clunk!" on the side of his tiny boat. "What the-?" He looked over the side. It was a log, and attached to that log was a-a hand! "Holy shit!" It was a person! Ace leaned over to the side being careful not to fall into the water. Since he ate the Mera-mera (fire) fruit, falling in meant death. After a couple minutes, he finally got the person's arm. It was a girl. She had short brown hair, small roundish-square glasses, and wore a tiger-striped shirt, black pants and a black bucket hat (which was tilted to the side at the time). She looked about 14. Ace brought her into the boat. Thankfully, she was alive, but unconscious. '  
A couple hors later, the girl finally came to her senses. She sat up and clutched her head, groaning. "Welcome back, sunshine." Ace chuckled to himself "Ugh…where the hell am I?" Ace paused for a moment.  
"Well, you were floating on a log, until I saw it hit my boat. Don'tcha know how to swim or something?" The girl pushed her glasses up off the bridge of her nose.  
"Oh, no! I can't swim! I ate one of those Devil Fruit thingies a while ago"  
"WHAT!" 


	2. Chapter 2

The girl laughed.  
"Yeah! I ate the Neko Neko (cat) fruit, model "Tiger". I'm a cat-girl nya!" There was a long, awkward silence. "Oh, by the way, m'name's Rachel!" She held out her hand.  
"Portgas D. Ace." He shook it.  
"Are you a pirate?" "Why do you ask?" Rachel pointed upward.  
"'Cause…your sail has a pirate mark on it." She referred to the Whitebeard mark on Ace's sail. Ace leaned against the side of the boat. "I guess that makes me a pirate." He sighed. Rachel slumped down and looked up at the sky. "I'm hungry." "You'll have to wait until we find land kid, I got nothin"  
"Awwww"  
"Sorry…" Man, this girl reminds me of my brother. Ace looked at Rachel, who was busy chewing on her thumbnail and whining about how she needed food. "Why were you floating in the middle of the ocean on a log anyways?" Rachel grinned.  
"I'm looking for someone." She rummaged in her khaki bag, which had dried a lot in the sun. Rachel pulled out a "Wanted" poster. "This guy"  
The picture had a guy with yellow hair. It was pulled to one side, so you couldn't see his right eye. His eyebrow was extremely curly. There was a cigarette hanging out of his mouth. "His name's Sanji. He used to be the assistant chef on Baratie Ocean-Going Restaurant, but left and joined the Strawhat pirate crew. You know him?" She drummed her fingers on her cheek. 


	3. Chapter 3

The Strawhat Crew! If she was looking for them, then she was looking for…  
"Luffy!" Rachel tilted her head.  
"Luffy"  
"Yeah. My brother…Monkey D. Luffy. He's the captain." Rachel smiled. "Oh! That's why your name sounded so familiar! Do you know where he is"  
"I have a feeling"  
"TAKE PLEASE!" She rummaged through her bag and removed two tiger-striped sheaths. Rachel removed the blades and tested the tips of the daggers with her finger until there was a small cut. "Perfect." She paused for a moment, and looked at her finger. "OW!" She stuck her finger in her mouth, whining. Ace sighed, and then smiled. "I'll take you." Rachel's face lit up.  
"Really, Ace"  
"Sure." Rachel hugged him.  
"THANK YOU!" Ace smiled. This kid may not be so bad after all. 


	4. Chapter 4

As the small boat docked, Rachel's face lit up even more.  
"You were right, Ace"  
"What"  
"Look!" She pointed right. There it was: the Merry Go, woth the Strawhat pirate flag waving in the breeze. The two stepped onto the dock. "I'M COMING SANJI-KU--" Ace grabbed her and put his hand over Rachel's mouth.  
"Shut up! They may think we're pirates and arrest us"  
"But we are..." Ace paused, then let her go.  
"I know. Remember, this is the Grand Line. Not everyone welcomes pirates you know." Rachel swayed from side to side.  
"I knowwwwwwwwwwww..." She fussed with her hat. "Now, go find Luffy and the others. If you need me, holler or roar or whatever, okay"  
"KAY!" Rachel ran off, screaming, "SANJI-KUUUUUUN!" Ace sighed. "She's perfect for you, brother." He grinned and walked off in the other direction. 


	5. Chapter 5

Rachel scratched her head. "Now, if I were a cook, where would I be"  
"GOMU GOME NO...PISTORU!" Rachel looked up.  
"What the hell!" That sounded like...LUffy! Ace's brother! She sped off until she found where the sound was coming from. There was a crowd. "Damnit! How will I be able to find them now!" She thought for a minute. "I got it! Tora Zume! Tiger Claws!" Her nails grew longer and pointier. Rachel chuckled and climbed up a nearbly building onto the roof. "Perfect!  
She looked down. There they were: the Strawhat pirates in the flesh, fighting a gruop of Navy soldiers. "This aughta be good!" One soldlier ran towards Sanji, but was kicked out of the way instantly. He faced the crowd, grinning, as to look good for the ladies. "YOU!" Another marine took out his pistol and fired a shot. Nami Gasped. "Sanji, look out"  
'Wha? AUGH!" He was hit in the shoulder and had fallen to the ground. Rachel's eyes widened.  
"THAT ASSHOLE! I'LL KILL THAT NAVY PIG!" There was an ear-splitting roar, followed by a couple screams of terror.  
Meanwhile, Ace heard the roar. "My God..." Over at the fight, two navy soldiers ran, battered and bloody. "MONSTER! IT'S A MONSTER!" Zoro looked up.  
"Monster? What the-!" Coming from the side alley was a tiger. 


	6. Chapter 6

The tiger growled. It was Rachel. "You hurt Sanji-kun... now I'm going to make you suffer!" She lunged forward toward the marines. "Tora Zume: Rapid fire!" Claw-blades flew form her hand, or should I say-paw. One of the soldiers managed to get behind her and cut her left arm with their sword, and Rachel fell and turned back into a human.  
"WHAT ARE YOU!" Nami screamed.  
"I'm..." Rachel flicked her hair out from behind her ears and fixed her hat so you could see two slits, "...A tiger-girl." Tiger ears popped out from the two slits."Form #2: Half tiger, half human" Her ears twitched. Rachel chuckled. "Tora mera zume!" Claws flew out again, only they were on fire. "You're late, Ace." 


	7. Chapter 7

Luffy looked up. "Ace!" Ace was behind them.  
"Sorry I'm late." Rachel laughed, then ran over to Sanji. She propped him up on her shoulder opposite of her bleeding arm. "You guys can take care of the rest. I'll take -kun back to the ship"  
"Okay!" Luffy said cheerfully.  
When the Strawhat Crew and Ace arrived on the Merry Go, Rachel was sitting in the galley, slurping ramen right from the pot, like she used to do back home. Her arm and Sanji's shoulder were bandaged. Sanji was aslep next to her, snoring. LOUDLY. Nami grabbed the pot from Rachel's hands.  
"Hey"  
"Just tell us who you are and why you wanted to find us"  
"RAMEN!"Rachel thrusted her hands down, accidentally hitting Sanji's hurt shoulder, walking him up.  
"OUCH'  
"S-sorry Sanji-kun!" Rachel paused for a minute, then realized what she was mad about. "RAMEN!" She reached for the pot Nami was still holding. Nami moved her arm out the way.  
"Answer my question, damnit"  
"Okay, jeez..." She fiddled with the 6-pointed star necklace she always wore. "My name's Rachel. I want to join you guys because...well..." she looked over at Sanji and blushed. "Heh heh..." Nami sighed and handed the ramen back. Rachel started to eat frantically again. Zoro chuckled. "You were right Ace, she is just like Luffy. The food part, I mean"  
"Told ya." Ace laughed. Luffy tilted his head, confused. "So... can I join ya?" Rachel said through a mouthful of ramen. Luffy and Usopp looked at each oher and smiled.  
"YES!" they blurted out. 


End file.
